Traverse rod hangers



Dec. 19, 1961 F. A. ROBERTS TRAVERSE ROD HANGERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4, 1960 FZZ'G. 1.

INVENTOR.

|+ 6 FkAA/K A ROBERTS wfifikA ATraQA/EY Dec. 19, 1961 F. A. ROBERTS 3,013,604

TRAVERSE ROD HANGERS Filed April 4, 1960 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 36 FZTG. 10.

' INVENTOR. FkAA/K A. ROBERTS A ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,013,6il4 TRAVERSE Rm) HANGERS Frank A. Rois arts, 6M1 Gardenia Ave, Long Beach, (Salif. Filed Apr. 4, 196%), Ser. No. 19,529 Slain-is. (6i. Rod-344) This invention pertains to new and improved traverse rod hangers, and to sets of hangers utilized in conjunction with a traverse rod in order to support draperies, curtains or the like.

Not infrequently a household does not possess draperies, or curtains of a type which can be easily and conveniently pulled open or shut because of cost considerations. The cost of such draperies or curtains themselves is, of course, of major importance as far as their utilization by the average household is concerned. However, a very important factor which is often overlooked is the cost of the hardware which must be used in conjunction with such draperies or curtains in order to support them so that they can be pulled between open and closed positions.

Prior types of drapery hardware capable of being pulled between open and closed positions as through the use of a draw cord have, as a general rule, been comparatively expensive. Thus, in many cases, an individual desiring curtains or drapes which could be pulled between open and shut positions has found that it was necessary to buy a complete set of specialized hardware for this purpose. It also has been known, however, to attach drapes or the like to various types of traverse rods of a simplified construction through the use of rings and various similar attaching means. As a general rule expedients of this latter type are not considered as desirable for esthetic reasons. Frequently it is also difiicult to satisfactorily attach drapes, curtains or the like to rings or various other similar devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved hangers which can be used with existing traverse rods in order to support various types of draperies and curtains. A more specific object of the present invention is to provide hangers of this type which may be easily attached to such draperies or curtains and which are designed specifically so as to be used in conjunction with a draw cord serving to open and close drapes, curtains or the like held by such hangers. A further object of the present invention is to provide sets of hangers as indicated in the preceding objects, which sets include other hangers constructed so as to hold pulleys so that these sets may be used in conjunction with existent traverse rods of an inexpensive variety in supporting and holding drapes and curtains in the same manner in which drapes and curtains are supported and held by more expensive types of dra ery hardware.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide hangers and sets as indicated which may be easily installed upon existent traverse rods and which are very reliable and efiicient in operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide hangers which can be utilized with a wide variety of differently formed curtains and drapes in a number of different manners depending upon the needs or requirements of any specific situation.

These and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification, including the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which: 7

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a traverse rod of a known type equipped with a set of hangers of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of this traverse rod showing these hangers;

3,013,604 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 3--3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a hanger of this invention taken in the direction of line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view taken in the direction of line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view taken in the direction of line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of line 1010 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8 hanger of this invention;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of this modified hanger taken in the direction of line 1212 of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 1313 of FIG. 11.

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended so as to clearly illustrate presently preferred forms or embodirnents of this invention. It will be realized by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that hangers having a different appearance than those hangers of this invention illustrated may be designed and built on the basis of the disclosure embodied within these drawings and this specification.

As an aid to understanding this invention it may be stated in essentially summary form that it involves curtain or drapery hangers, each of which is formed so as to have a front and a back, a top and a bottom, and sides, a passage adapted to receive a traverse rod connecting these sides, means for holding a drape or a curtain and preferably include means for use in conjunction with a draw cord. These vhangers are preferably used with a traverse rod and with other hangers located adjacent to the ends of a traverse rod which hold a draw cord so that such draw cord passes along all the hangers used in a set and may be used in order to open or close drapes or curtains held by the set. v

The actual nature of this invention will be best more fully explained by referring directly to the accompanying drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 2 of these drawings there is shown a conventional type of inexpensive traverse rod 10. This rod 10 includes at its ends bases 12 which are adapted to be mounted upon a wall 14 in a known manner. Upon the rod 10 there are located a plurality of hangers 16 of the present invention, and adjacent to the ends of the rod 10 there are mounted other hangers 18 and 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively.

Each of the hangers 16 includes a curved top wall 22 from the ends of which there extend straight side walls 24 and 26 located at the front and rear of the hanger 16, respectively. These walls 24 and 26 are curved so as to extend toward one another adjacent to the bottom of the hanger i6 and then fit together so as to form a small bottom extension 28 consisting of the walls 24 and 26 which are separated from one another by a curved, tortious slot 30. It will be realized that the tortious slot 30 is of a very restricted dimension. With this construction the walls 22, 24 and 26 define within the hanger 16 an elongated passage 32 which extends in a vertical manner and which extends between the sides 34 of the hangerllfi. The slot 36 extends between the bottom of this passage 32 with the extremities of the walls 24and 26 which of a modified constitute the bottom of the hanger 16. The slot 30 also 3 dicated in FIGS. and 7 of the drawings. This arm 35 diverges from the wall 24 adjacent to the lower extremity of the passage 32 and extends generally parallel to the wall 2-1 to adjacent to the top wall 22. Preferably this arm 36 carries adjacent to its extremity at least one hole or opening 38.

As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 7 of the drawings the wall 26 is of a generally enlarged character and includes a comparatively small passage 4t? which extends within it between the sides 34. This wall 26 also is formed so as to include a slot 4-2 adjacent to the top wall 22 which slot 42 is open to the exterior of the hanger 16. Preferably the slot 42 includes a flat, vertical side wall 44 which is opposite sloping side walls 46. The walls 46 converge toward a line 48 located generally in the center of this slot 42 so as to define a restriction within this slot between the sides 34.

The hangers 18 and 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings used in conjunction with the hangers 16 are each formed so as to introduce resilient fingers 5t} which are designed to engage and securely hold a traverse rod such as the rod 10. Each of these hangers 1S and 20 also includes walls 52 defining an opening 54 adapted to be traversed by a centrally located shaft 56 which in turn is adapted to carry either one or two pulleys 53 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It will be realized from a study of these two figures of the drawings that in the hangers 18 and 2d the openings '54 are located generally in alignment with the passages 40 in the hangers 16 when a complete set of the hangers 16 and the hangers 18 and 20 are mounted upon the rod 10.

In completely assembling a set of the hangers i6 and 18 upon the rod a cord 69 is passed as indicated over the two pulleys 58 in the hanger 2t} and around the pulley 58 in the hanger 18. The two pulleys 58 in the hanger 20 may, of course, be omitted if desired, and the cord 6% simply passed through the opening 54 in the hanger 29. Between these two hangers 18 and 20 this cord is normally inserted so as to extend through the passages 41' in the hangers 16 except within the two centermost of these hangers. These centermost hangers are indicated adjacent to the line 7-7 in FIG. 2 of the drawings. As indicated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings these two centermost hangers 16 are designed so that the cord 66 may be attached to them by being passed within the slot 42 so as to be held under a compression against the side wall 4 5 by the line 48 defined by the walls 46. The cord 6% is, of course, held in this manner only once in each hanger 16, although it passes along each of the hangers 16 twice as indicated in the drawings.

When the various parts shown have been assembled in the manner indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the various hangers 16 may be moved along the traverse rod into either an open or closed position as may be desired by pulling on either end of the cord 69 in a conventional manner. Also when the parts indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings have been assembled drapes may be attached to the hangers 16 in any of several different manners. As an example of this, the arms 36 may be inserted within pockets formed upon drapes or curtains, or if desired, conventional drapery hooks may be attached to these arms through the use of the openings 38. If desired, however, a drape or curtain may be attached to each of the hangers 16 by being threadedwithin the tortious slots 36 in these hangers. In the latter case the inherent resiliency of the walls 24 and 26 will hold such a drape or curtain in place. This inherent resiliency of the walls 24 and 26 will also enable any individual hanger 16 to be temporarily deformed and snapped off or on to a rod 14} in the event that this is desired.

In FIGS. l1, l2 and 13 of the drawings there are shown a modified hanger 70 of the present invention which is essentially similar to a hanger 16 as previously described. Because of the similarity the various parts t of the hanger "/0 which are identical or substantially similar to corresponding parts of the hanger 16 are not separately described in this specification and are designated both in this specification and in the drawings by the primes of the numerals previously used to designate such parts.

From an examination of FIGS. ll and i2 of the drawings it will be seen that the hanger 79 does not include any arm, such as an arm 36 previously described, and that in it the extension 28 formed by the extremities of the walls 2 and 26' is elongated as compared with the extension 23 previousiy indicated. Further, in the hanger 7% another tortious slot 72 is located within the walls 24' and 26 within the extension 23. This other slot 72 is similar to the slot 30 but does not extend completely to the passage 32 shown. These two slots 3% and 72 are designed so that a drape or curtain 74 may be passed within them as indicated in phantom in FIG. 13. Thus, such a drapery or curtain 74 may be held so as to be pleated by a hanger 76 of the present invention. It may be, of course, also held so as to merely extend directly through the slot 35) in such a hanger if this is desired, although for esthetic reasons it is frequently considered necessary to pleat such drapery or curtain such as the drape or curtain 74-. This type of use of the hanger 70 as indicated in FIG. 13 of the drawings is similar to the type of use of drape or curtain which is frequently referred to as a cafe style or use.

It will be realized by those skilled in the art that hangers such as the hangers 16, 18, 20 and 7%) herein described may be easily and inexpensively manufactured out of such materials as high impact styrene or the like by simple injection molding procedures. It will also be realized that such hangers may be easily installed upon existent, known, inexpensive types of traverse rods, including, for example, those commonly known as curtain rods, so as to upgrade such traverse rods so that they can be used in place of more expensive related structures which at the present time have to be used in obtaining a complete drapery mounting which may be opened or closed by pulling a cord.

Because of the nature of this invention it is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A drapery hanger which includes: a top wall having dependent front and rear side walls extending therefrom, said side walls coming together remote from said top wall so as to define an extension in which the extremities of said front and rear walls define a first slot, said front and rear side walls between said extension and said top wall being located apart from one another so as to define a passage capable of being traversed by a traverse rod, an arm attached to said front side wall on the side thereof remote from said rear side wall, said arm diverging from said front side wall and extending upwardly, said arm being adapted to be attached to a drape, said rear side wall having a passage formed therein which extends parallel to said first mentioned passage formed between said front and said rear side walls, said rear side wall also including a cord holding slot formed therein open to the exterior of said hanger adjacent to said top wall, one portion of said cord holding slot being of smaller dimension than the remainder of said cord holding slot whereby a drapery cord may be wedged into said cord holding slot so as to be held with respect to said hanger, said passage in said rear side wall being adapted to support a drapery cord.

2. A drapery hanger which includes: a curved top wall having dependent front and rear side walls extending therefrom, said side walls coming together remote from said top wall so as to define an extension in which the extremities of said front and rear side walls define a tortious slot, said front and rear side walls between said extension and said top wall being located apart from one another so as to define a passage capable of being traversed by a traverse rod, said tortious slot being capable of holding a fabric article, an arm attached to said front side wall on the side thereof remote from said rear side wall, said arm diverging from said front side wall and extending upwardly and having at least one opening formed therein, said arm being adapted to be attached to a drape, said rear side wall having a passage formed therein which extends parallel to said first mentioned passage formed between said front and said rear side walls, said rear side wall also including a slot formed therein open to the exterior of said hanger adjacent to said top wall, said slot being formed so as to be smaller in dimension at the center thereof than at the ends thereof whereby a drapery cord may be wedged into said slot so as to be held with respect to said hanger, said passage in said rear side wall being adapted to support a drapery cord.

3. A drapery hanger as defined in claim 2 wherein said walls and said arm are formed integrally with one another 4. A drapery hanger as defined in claim 3 wherein said walls are formed of a resilient material capable of temporary deformation so as to allow said hanger to be snapped into place so that a traverse rod is held within said passage between said front and said rear side walls.

5. A drapery hanger which includes: atop wall having dependent front and rear side walls extending therefrom,

said side walls coming together remote from said top wall so as to define an extension in which the extremities of said front and rear walls define a drapery holding slot, said front and rear side walls between said extension and said top wall being located apart from one another so as to define a passage capable of being traversed by a traverse rod, said rear side wall having a passage formed therein which extends parallel to said first mentioned passage formed between said front and said rear side walls, said rear side wall also including a cord holding slot formed therein open to the exterior of said hanger adjacent to said top wall, one portion of said cord holding slot being of smaller dimension than the remainder of said cord holding slot whereby a drapery cord may be wedged into said cord holding slot so as to be held with respect to said hanger, said passage in said rear side wall being adapted to support a drapery oord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,132 Bevan Apr. 10, 1894 996,886 Schneider July 4, 1911 1,405,426 Odson Feb. 7, 1922 1,945,585 Wintrob Feb. 6, 1934 2,164,949 Schreiber July 4, 1939 2,553,272 Perlmutter May 15, 1951 

